Archive for September, 2014

This week I’m joined by Gaijin Dan, The AnarChris, and Gavok. Matlock, meanwhile, was recruited to help ensure that the future doesn’t end in the near future. That kind of thing tends to eat up a lot of free time.

In a shameless bit of self-promotion where I abuse my power as Week in Panels host to write about any intro I’d like, I launched my own webcomic this week.

I call it Beat Stuff Up Man. It’s pretty high concept, pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It’s about a guy who gets in fights with stuff and beats them up. So far he’s beat up an angry Badgerine and is just about to get in a fight with some weird shark thingies that look an awful lot like piranhas.

It’s a side project I’ve started up for kicks and giggles to provide some more immediate gratification alongside my larger, long-term projects. So yeah, feel free to go check that out if you’d like. I’d certainly appreciate if you did.

Now that I’ve finished promoting my own selfish aims, let’s get on with what other people have put out this week.

Know what time it is? Of course you do, because it says what time it is right up THERE!

It’s WEEK IN PANELS TIME!

Joining me this week, as always, are Gaijin Dan, Gavok, and Matlock. Oh, and AnarChris. We have some panels from him this week, too.

Big week for my picks. I actually managed to beat out Gavok with the number of panels I have. Though that’s partially because he didn’t manage to get to Multiversity this week. Which is a shame, because it’s a really good issue.

Side note – while I recognize that Gavok’s read WAY more Deadpool than me (frankly, he’s probably read more of just about anything than me), I do feel inclined to say that while I agree with him that Deadpool Corps was a bad joke to be avoided, I think the Deadpool Corps prologue issues were actually pretty decent.

As it so happens, it’s also a surprisingly timely article as well, but as for why, I’ll tell you once we get through this week’s panels…

The best panels in comics are going on the road to sunny (?), vibrant (??) Portland, Oregon for Rose City Comic Con this weekend. I’m moderating four panels at the show, two for the check writer and two for the con itself.

SATURDAY, I’m talking to a few of the people making comics in the mainstream that connect with people in a way that mainstream books often don’t. We’re talking stories that are human and humane, that reach past the glitter and spectacle and put the big squeeze on your heart, that something something your something something, clever ending that ties it all together.

Image Comics Presents I is for Immediate
Room: Panel Room 2
Time: 12:00PM – 12:50PM
Separately, Kelly Sue DeConnick (Pretty Deadly), Matt Fraction (Sex Criminals), and Greg Rucka (Lazarus) have written some of the most compelling and intensely relatable comics on the stands. Together, these three writers are part of a wave of creators creating stories that reflect life as live it and the world as we know it. Join them as they discuss writing comics and striving for more.

SUNDAY, I have a packed schedule. First, I’m talking to Sloane Leong, Leila Del Duca, and Ben Dewey about creativity and storytelling and their approach to comics and so on. Second, I’m talking to Dynamic Dustin Nguyen, an artist whose work I’ve dug since I first discovered Wildcats 3.0. He’s got a unique style, and I’m looking forward to seeing where it came from. Third… Parker/Brothers, son. And immediately after that? I’m on a plane, but baby don’t forget me, I’m a travellin’ man.

Image Comics Presents I is for Irresistible
Room: Panel Room 2
Time: 11:00AM – 11:50AM
Comics art is better than ever and reaching new heights on a daily basis. Sloane Leong (From Under Mountains), Leila Del Duca (Shutter), and Ben Dewey (Tooth & Claw) share the secret to making great comics, sustaining creativity, and just how important artists are when it comes to storytelling in comics.

Spotlight: Dustin Nguyen
Room: Panel Room 7
Time: 12:00PM – 12:50PM
Dustin is one of the most prolific and hard working artists in the comics industry. He has worked on numerous Batman titles including, The Authority, American Vampire, and now the critically acclaimed digital first title Batman: Li’l Gotham, Dustin has truly shown he’s a force to be reckoned with.

Spotlight: Jeff Parker
Room: Panel Room 7
Time: 2:00PM – 2:50PM
From the humble beginnings as a comic artist to being one of the most sought after writer’s in the industry, Jeff Parker has shown that his unique take and sense of humor adds a level of depth to his characters rarely seen in the industry. Come step into the mind of the man currently behind Aquaman, Batman ‘66, X-Men: First Class, and so much more.

If you’ve never been to a panel I’ve run, here’s how it goes: I introduce everybody, I pick their brains a bit to set the foundation for the chat to come, and then audience Q&A is integrated into the discussion. If you ask a question, you get a free comic. If you ask a really good question, I’ll give you a handful of comics. It’s a good deal for everyone.

On top of that, my friend Marissa Louise is putting on a Ladies Mixer at Rose City. It happens before the con opens to the general public, so you need to be either on a panel or tabling. She tells me some wonderful women have already chosen to attend, so if you fit the bill, you should check it out and have a bite to eat. Marissa is cool people, very smart and fiercely protective of her folks. You can tweet her if you need more info.

On top of all that, Caleb Goellner, one of the top two stand-up guys in comics, teamed up with Dark Horse editor Jim Gibbons to drop Birch Squatch: The Last Bigfoot this week. I like Caleb, I like Caleb’s comics, you should read Caleb’s comics. He also does Mermaid Evolution solo and Task Force Rad Squad with Buster Moody. All his comics are pay-what-you-want, so throw him a few bucks and have a good time.

Finally, If you see me at the show, and you can do it without being weird, I’ll show you cool comics (American and Japanese) stuff you’ve possibly never seen before on my iPad.

It’s another Week in Panels, brought to you by 4th Letter and your host, Me!

This week, Me, er, I am backed up by Gaijin Dan, Matlock, The AnarChris, and Gavok. For Matlock’s sake, I’m hoping that this big DC Futures End thing is actually good – or at least halfway decent and not mind-bogglingly bad – because he very well appears to be reading through every single issue of it this month like a trooper.

You’ll have to ask him if it’s actually any good, though. I haven’t been reading it at all and I don’t think Gavok’s delved into them either outside what he normally reads.

Fortunately for you, you don’t have to read any of it if you don’t want to – all you have to do is check out the panels below! So let’s get to that, shall we?

We’re at the tail end of Original Sin as an event. I think we just have that last issue of the Thor/Loki tie-in and we’re done and we can move on to Axis. Axis can go either way, but when it comes to Original Sin, I’m of the opinion that it may be the best Marvel/DC event story in at least the last decade.

The miniseries itself was strong. It wasn’t the best ever, but it’s a good standalone story, which I can’t say the same about Infinity. Don’t get me wrong, I thought Infinity was amazing, but that’s only because I’ve been reading Avengers and New Avengers from the beginning and if you don’t do that, you’re kind of lost. Original Sin just felt like a remake of Identity Crisis that tried to be over-the-top instead of mopey. Instead of a sudden, out-of-nowhere ending where “THAT LADY BE CRAZY!” we got something more interesting. In fact, the events surrounding it are still rather ambiguous and the moral debate between the characters of Fury and Uatu are quarantined to the mini itself. It’s not like Civil War where every single comic for nearly a year is arguing one point against another.

Also, there’s the tie-ins. Sometimes events can be murder with tie-ins because we’ll get the same crap over and over again. Secret Invasion, World War Hulk and Blackest Night were stories where the tie-ins felt like the same thing over and over again. You read one, you read them all. Original Sin had a gimmick of heroes discovering shocking secrets, but they didn’t go the easy way out and make it create a rift in every single relationship. Instead, we only get Captain America’s current hate-on with Iron Man, which honestly has very little to do with Original Sin anyway and was going to happen regardless. Even the Hulk tie-in where it’s suggested that Iron Man created the Hulk out of spite ended with a sweet ending that highlighted the movie-mandated friendship between Stark and Banner.

For real, Stark emotionally yelling at Banner and bitching him out for thinking everyone would be better off if he was dead was such an awesome scene.

“Never say that! Never say that, you $#(@ !$#%!”

“Don’t make me angry.”

“Then don’t make ME angry, Bruce! You always make me so damn angry!”

Another awesome tie-in came in the form of this week’s Deadpool #34. I wrote a review of it here, but the gist is that it’s a soul-crushing issue that goes into one of the more messed up moments of Deadpool’s past. It’s one of the darkest moments in the character’s history. Luckily, being a Deadpool comic and also a Brian Posehn/Gerry Duggan Deadpool comic, it’s also hilarious otherwise.

The gimmick is that it takes place during the early 90’s. Scott Koblish proceeds to make it 90’s as fuck, doing his best Liefeld impression. The characters look right, but one of the best subtle running gags comes with a piece of missing anatomy that we’ve all come to recognize Liefeld for.

Spot the missing feet.

During this entire flashback sequence – which is all but three pages of the full issue – we never see a single foot. As great as that is, the real punchline comes from the ending, where we return to the present and a regular art style. Behold.

Of COURSE that’s the first thing we focus on.

Posted in comic books by Gavok | | Comments Off on Original Sin and Deadpool’s Foot Fetish

Meanwhile, in this weekly edition of Week in Panels, things are absolutle chalk full thanks to the help of Gaiji Dan, Matlock, AnarChris, and Gavok. Gaijin Dan should probably be happy that his usual manga contributions were given a special note in Webb’s WiP shout-out. Lots of double – and even triple – representations on display.

So, yeah…YAY!

Now that I’ve successfully patted us on the back hard enough to cure us of any choking hazards that might have coincidentally been happening at the exact same time, let’s get on to panels, shall we?

And now, after much delay, it’s time for that time of the week – Week in Panels time. That time where we take panels and use them to sum up the comics of the week.

This week I’m joined by Gaijin Dan and Gavok. It’s probably a broken record by this point, but IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series? Gavok and I both agree that it’s pretty dang awesome. The current Turtles in Time miniseries equally so.

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